


I can't dream yet another dream without you lying next to me

by plikki



Series: Spin the record challenge [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Marichat, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27320971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: Marinette finds herself sleeping easier the past few nights, ever since she's been dreaming of Chat Noir dropping in her skylight, tucking her in, kissing her cheek, and watching over her as she sleeps. But is it a dream?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Spin the record challenge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994611
Comments: 20
Kudos: 242
Collections: Miraculous: Spin The Record Challenge, The Palette Cleanse Challenge of November 2020





	I can't dream yet another dream without you lying next to me

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kicking off November with this 2-in-1 one-shot. It's for Lou's Palette Cleanse Challenge, or fluff up your world after all the angst (as I call it) 😁 and the prompt I'm using is also by her. So double hurray for InkyCoffee!   
> BUT! This is also my first fic in NOIRequin's Spin the record challenge. The song for this one (as you can see in the title) is Breathe Easy by Blue. If you love writing to music, you might want to check the challenge out!

The dream started before she was fully asleep, but her mind was reaching for it. It was simple - the air moving, a cool breeze on her skin, before her blanket was tucked around her by ghost hands. She surrendered completely to the subconscious before more that she could remember happened. But it was the first night in a very long time that she fell asleep easier.

The next time, in addition to the gentle hands tucking her in, she felt a feather-light touch on her cheek. She wanted to chase the feeling and recapture it, but sleep overwhelmed her completely again. 

It was strange, because she’d been having too much difficulty sleeping since becoming the guardian. She’d already had nightmares before that, mainly of losing Chat or failing to think of a solution on time, but now she felt too stressed to even fall asleep until the middle of the night, after much tossing and turning.

Wasn’t it strange that she felt better after this dream? The third time it happened, it was no longer just a mysterious presence by her side. She knew that touch, that heart-melting tenderness. It wasn’t surprising that she was dreaming of Chat. If it wasn’t a nightmare, he always made her feel safer by being there with her in her dreams.

Considering the fact that she’d let it slip that she couldn’t sleep well that one night he caught her on her balcony, it wasn’t totally unexpected that he visited her more in her dreams. 

She’d been sleeping so much better the past few nights that started with that dream, that when the next one she ended up rolling around her bed, looking for a comfortable spot, she felt disappointed. Her eyes flew open, sleep forgotten for a bit. Her skylight was firmly closed, there was no one there with her. For some reason, she felt too lonely and her old worries were creeping up on her again.

Marinette couldn’t help wondering - could a simple dream change things so much? What if she’d been wrong? A dream had never before given her the security and peace she’d felt the past nights. What if she hadn’t been dreaming? What if Chat had really been there with her? 

She smiled fondly in the darkness. For some reason it sounded like something he would do to make sure she was sleeping. She could imagine him so clearly at the bottom of her bed, careful not to disturb her, as he watched over her. Her heart swelled with love for her partner but the feeling of emptiness didn’t dissipate. She wanted him there and would make sure he knew it.

On the off chance that she’d got it wrong and it was really her imagination and nothing else, the next night she pretended to be asleep. She felt tired and wanted nothing more than to surrender to dreams, but thankfully she didn’t need to wait long. 

There was the telltale creak as he opened her skylight, something she’d missed the previous nights. Then her mattress dipped for a second under his weight and her covers were tucked around her. It wasn’t until he leaned in and she could almost feel his lips on her cheek that she opened her eyes. 

He froze, caught in the act, and she saw the instinct to flee in his eyes. Her hand closed around his, holding him in place.

“It’s okay,” she said.

“I’m sorry, Marinette. I know it seems creepy, I swear I only wanted to make sure you were sleeping,” he said and she could hear the panic in his voice. She sat up and smiled.

“Don’t worry about it, I trust you,” she said, hoping this would help calm him down. It seemed to do the trick as he took a deep breath and settled next to her. “It worked, what you’ve been doing. I’ve been sleeping better, although I was sure it was just a dream,” she said with a small laugh. “But then you didn’t come last night and I was back to restlessness and I knew I’d been wrong.”

“I tried to, but I almost got caught sneaking out and decided to stay put,” he said, his eyes full of regret.

“And yet, here you are now,” she said incredulously. When he looked away she realised how her words could be misinterpreted. “No, I didn’t mean it like that! I obviously need you here so I’m happy you came, but I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” She could feel her cheeks glow red from the surprising admission, but he needed to know.

“I’m careful and no one usually checks on me after bedtime,” he said with a small smile.

“Well, in that case, can you stay longer?” She asked. A beat of silence. She was sure she’d overstepped her mark. She couldn’t explain why knowing he was there would chase the nightmares away, without revealing why she was afraid of losing him in the first place. But she also didn’t know what his motivation for helping her was. He didn’t know he was helping his partner, but the way he acted around her was still so familiar, she realised. She couldn’t ask why he felt the need to protect her and help her without learning too much in the process. It was all a delicate dance of lies and veiled truths and for some reason it was even harder for her to pretend when she wasn’t Ladybug.

“Of course,” came his soft reply and her eyes focused on him again. They both lied down and he tried to tuck the cover over her again. This had been enough when she’d thought he was a dream, but now that she knew he was actually there she needed more. When she crawled into his arms, he hesitated for a second, but then wrapped them around her. 

“Is this okay?” she whispered. She didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.    
“Yes,” came his reply and she could hear the smile in his voice, which reassured her instantly. Her eyes closed and she felt herself instantly relax into his warmth. This was so much better than just feeling his presence there, she realised as she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

Maybe this arrangement was a little unconventional, but she would make sure to tell him everything one day and thank him for being there for her when she needed him the most. Maybe it would happen even sooner than expected, she thought as she revelled in the way she felt in his arms before finally succumbing to sleep. She slept better than ever, knowing that he was real and there with her. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to take part in wonderful challenges like these ones and meet many wonderful people, come join the [ Miraculous Fanworks Discord](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)


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